Amusement device



April 2, 1940. w L 2,195,718

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Sept. 21. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

./,/ 44 44 7a 27 f4 j i A? /i 4? /7 P 3 y p 47 574% 45 L0 l l INVENTOR.

JOHN W. CULP. m

ATTORNEY.

April 2, 1940. I w UL 2,195,718

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Sept. 21. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I In I I I I I I I I I 1. I- I I I I I 4 IIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIII'I/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIIII IN VENTOR. BY Jon/v W. Cum

ATTORNEY5.

Patented Apr. 2, 1940 "umreo'smrss ra.TENTv OFF AMUS MENT DEVICE John. W. Culp,

Mishawaka, Ind.

" Application SeptcmberZl, 19ss,-s'eria11-i .23o,945

10 Claims.

This invention relates to amusement devices.

andparticu-Iarly to devices of this character in which a ball is propelled on a playing surface or board and toward a goal.

The primary object-of this invention is to provide'a device of this character having a playing surface interrupted by a gap or opening in which a member is shiftable to span or bridge the gap at any desired or selected point thereof.

A further object is to provide a device of this character. which includes a playing surface having a ball discharge area and a goal, with a .gap intermediate said discharge area and goal, and a member shiftable in said gap and adapted to permit a ball to. roll thereover when properly positioned. Y

A further object is to provide a device of this character with a surface on which a ball is'adapted toroll by gravity toward a goal and which surface is interrupted in spaced relation to said goal by a. trap, and means controlled by a player to prevent'the ball from lodging in' said trap.

.A further obiect i's to provide a device of this character with manually operable means for completing the normally interrupted path of a ball on a playing surface. e

' Other objects will be apparent from the description and the appended claims.

' In the drawings: Figure l is a top plan view of the device. Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 3"3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4. isa top plan View of a modified embodiment of the invention. 7 I Figure 5 is a viewof the modified embodiment in front elevation.

' Figure. 6 is aflongitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4. I I

This invention contemplates'the provision of a playing surface for a ball with a-narrow gap positioned transversely'of the normal path of movement of theballtoserve as a trap for the ball, Associated. with the playing, surface is a manually operable member including a portion flush with and spanning a portion of the gap. The objective of the player is to position this member in the. "path of movement of the ball to permit the ball to cross thegap to the goal. The invention may obviously be utilized in many structural variations, and for purposes of illustration is herein shown and described in two different forms or embodimentsof the coin controlled or pin ball type of game.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the numeral l designates a housing having a transparent top panel ii. In the upper portion of the housing is fixedly mounted a substantially horizontal. game board l2 which is provided with a depressed guide way I3 which communicates tangentially with the outer or marginalportion of a depressed circular dished-or concave portion M which forms the playing, surface of the device. A conventional 10 projector [5, as a spring pressed plunger, for a ball I6, is carried by the housing It and-extends intoguide' way t3. Intermediate the center and theperiphery of playing portion M, the same is Y provided witha concentric arcuate opening or gap ll whose ends are slightly spaced apartand define a Web It between the outerportion of playing surface M and the central circular portion l9 thereof'defined by said opening l1. In the center of .portion' i9 is formed an opening 20 which is the goal ofthe device. The center portion I 9 preferably carries a plurality of "radial ribs 21" which serve to divide, said portion and goal."

A horizontal; member 25 is supported by 25 brackets ZE-beneath game board l2 and terminates at its inner end in a circular portion 21 which bears agains'tthe under surface of center portion I!) of the game board at the edge of opening 28 therein, said portionZ'l being of a radius 30 lessthanithe radius'of centerportion l9 of the game board, whereby objects dropped through opening ll of the igame b'oard will not strike it. End portion 2loffmember 25 is preferably normally positioned in eccentric relation tovcenter portion .8 9 ofthe game board by a spring 28. which may be connected to one of the brackets 26 and ,"tothe: stem portion 29' of member 25. The stem portion 2! of member 25' is preferably narrow and extends under web 18 'of the game 40- ,boardg Theforward end of stem 29 is positi'cned inthe path of: movement of the conventional: coin receiving member 38 mounted in the'fro'nt'ef housing Hi. In the head 21 of member 25 are formed 'a pair of semi-circular apertures 3!? separated by a narrow web 32, said apertures 31 being normally off-set or disaligned with respect'to aperturelll of the game board, whereby a .ganie'ball l6 lodging in aperture 20 will be retained therein. i

Mounted onthe bottom of housing In in ver-- tical alignmentwith the center of playing surface portion Id of gameboard I2 is a member 35 which'journals thelower end of a vertical shaft 36' whose upper end-isjournaled in'a bear- 55 ing 3?. Lateral arms 38 are carried by bearing 3'! and terminate in upwardly directed portions 39 which'support the center portion IQ of the game board adjacent the periphery thereof, and which are spaced outwardly of the head 21 of the member 25. Below bearing 3'! the shaft 36 fixedly mounts a collar 46 from which projects a lateral arm 4i below the level of arms 38 and terminating outwardly of said arms in an upwardly directed portion 42 which supports a plate or bridge 43 of a length approximately equal to the width of gap ll of the game board and positioned radially of said game board and flush with the inner and outer portions l4 and i9 thereof. Bridge 43 is preferably provided with flanges 44 projecting from the opposite sides thereof and above the adjacent playingsurface. Adjacent its lower end, the shaft 36 mounts a bevel gear 45 which meshes with a bevel gear 46 mounted on a horizontal shaft] 4"! extending longitudinally of the housing if! to the forward end thereof. Shaft 4'. is suitably supported and journaled in the housing by bearing brackets 48 and face plate bearing 46, and mounts a hand wheel 56 at its outer end.

Intermediate the gears 45, 46 and the collar 46 is positioned an inclined ball return member suitably carried by the housing H]. Member 5| 1 is preferably transversely dished, as illustrated guide way l3.

\ cavity of the playing surface.

in Fig. 3, and is provided with a groove 52 in its lower forward end for feeding the balls It to a suitable conventional elevator (not shown) operable by plunger 53 for raising the balls into It will be understood that the device is also provided with suitable means (not shown) associated with the coin receiver 30 for permitting only a predetermined number of balls to be fed to the projector |5 upon insertion of each coin in the device, as is well understood in the art. s The point of communication of the guideway H with the playing surface l4 isprovided with a suitable swinging gate member 54 which will permit balls [6 to pass from the guideway to the playing surface, but which prevents reverse movement of said balls. The outer portion M .of the playing surface is provided with a plurality of vertical pins or obstacles 55, as is conventional; and at the outer end of web I8 is mounted a transverse obstacle 56 which prevents a ball from rolling on said web to the center portion I9 of the playing surface.

In the operation of the device, a coin is ini serted in the coin receiver 30 and the latter is pushed forwardly to deposit the coin within the housing, release the conventional ball retainer to feed the balls to the elevator, and to slide the member 25 to bring the openings 3| in the head 2'! thereof into registration with openings 20 in the game board. This conditions the device for play in the usual manner preparatory to feeding the balls successively to the guide way l3 for propulsion by plunger l5. The propulsion of the balls through the guide way and onto the playing surface l4 tangentially of the latter results in circular movement of the balls on said playing surface coupled with a gradual inward movement imparted by the inclination or con- As the balls roll down toward the center of the playing surface they strike one or more of the obstacles 55 which are so spaced and positioned as to normally prevent unobstructed rolling of the ball. Upon striking an obstacle, the ball is diverted in erratio unpredictable movements, depending upon that the ball will roll thereon when it reaches the outer edge of gaptl'l and then roll over the same onto the center portion I 9 of the game board and into one of the divisions of aperture 26 defined by the ribsZl thereof.

It will be obvious that considerable dexterity and skill is required on the part of the player to achieve success in positioning the bridge member to permit the ball to roll thereover to the central scoring. portion I9 of the playing surface, particularly in viewof the possibility of quick inwardly directed deflections of the ball after striking an obstacle, orbecause of a tangential approach of the ball to the gap H. In this connection it will be noted that the flanges 44 of the bridge member serve a dual function of deflecting the ball from the gap in the event the bridge is improperly positioned to receive the ball, and to assist in retaining the ball when the same has once rolled thereon. 'It will be understood, of course, that the flanges, though projecting above the top face of the bridge member, may be of a height only a small fraction of the radius ofa ball, so that proper manipulation of the bridge is necessary to insure retention of the ball thereon. The divisions of the center portion. I!) of the playing surface are preferably marked with various values, as shown in Fig. 1, which make it advantageous for the player to manipulate the bridge member 43 while the ball is supported thereby to cause the ball to be discharged therefrom to the playing division of maximum value or score. To render this manipulation diflicult, the flanges 44 of 'the'bridge member are preferably of minimum height, so that sudden jerks of the bridge member in manipulating the same may result in discharge of the ball therefrom to fallthrough the gap l1.

bridge member drop through the gap; I11, which is preferably of a width to prevent the balls from jumping thereover. The obstacle 56 prevents a ball from rolling over the web|8 to the scoring portion I 9. It will be understood that the length, width and positioning ofthe'gapfl'l, the construction and means of manipulating the bridge, the construction and positioning of the obstacles, which have been described are merely illustrative, and may be varied within wide limits as long as the operative relationof parts to achieve a game operating on the principle of a shiftable bridge for a gap in a playing surface is retained.

Another embodiment of the invention is illus trated in Figs. 4 to Gyand comprises acasing 60 having a transparent cover panel 6| and'mounting a forwardly downwardly inclined gameboard 62 inits upper end. The game board is provided with a guideway 63 which communicates with an upper playing area 64, and with a playing area 65 at the forward lower end of the game board spaced from area 64 by an elongated curved transverse gap or opening 66. Suitable obstacles or pins 61 are carried by the upper playing area '64' to deflect a ball projected thereover from guideway 63 by a conventional. projector 68. A plurality of apertures 69 of a size to receive a ball are formed in the lower playing, area 65 of the game board.v

Slidably mounted casing 60 -beneath game Those balls which are not intercepted by proper positioning of the board 62 is a board or plate lll having apertures "H therein arranged in complementary relation to the apertures 69.- Plate 10 isnormally positioned with the apertures H thereof disaligned with apertures '69, and is adapted'to be slid to effect registration of said apertures 69 and H upon operation cfa coin receiver 12', as is conventional in the art. The plate '76 terminates in rearwardly spacedrelation to the gap or opening 66. In spaced relation below game board 62 and plate 10, a forwardly downwardly inclined panel cent the front thereof, and fixedly mounts a stub shaft 'l'l atits upper end, which shaft is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the game board 62. On shaft TI is journaled'a col lar 18 which is fixedly carriedby a lever 19 intermediate the length of said lever. Lever!!! terminates in an upwardly directed portion 80 at its inner end, and said portion 86 mounts a bridge member 8| positioned in the'gap'66 of the game board withthe upper surface thereof substantially in the plane of the faces of the playing areas 64, 65. The bridge member 8| spans the gap 66, and is preferably provided with upwardly projecting flanges 82 at its opposite sides. The outer end of lever 19 extends through an elongated horizontal slot 83 in the front panel of casing and terminates'in a handle member 84.

The operation of this embodiment of v the in-, vention is as follows: Operation of the coin receiver '52 after insertion of a coin therein serves to shift plate H! to effect registration of apertures H thereof with apertures 69 of gameboard 62, and, thereby to release all the balls for movement into groove 14 of panel 13 for successive feeding to elevator'lli. The balls are then successively propelled through guideway 63 by projector 68. When the balls reach the upper playing area 64 of the game board they roll thereon toward the lower playing area 65. The'obstacles 61'on portion 64 of the game board are so arranged that one or more thereof are struck by each ball as. it rolls, toward gap 66, thus providing erratic and substantially undeterminable movement of the ball'on the game board. Du.r- V

ing the time eachball is rolling on the upper playing area 64, the player operates or is ready to operate lever 19 to position the bridge 8| carried thereby in position for the ball to roll thereon when it reaches gap 66. In this connection the'flanges 82 assist to hold the ball on the bridge, but also serve as obstacles which may be struck by the'ball if the bridge has not been positioned in precise required ball-intercepting position. Those of a series-of balls which are intercepted and bridged to the lower playing area-65 eventually lodge in one of the apertures 69 of the game board which form the goals thereof, and the re'- mainder fall through gap 66 and are lost. In order to retain balls fallingth'rough thegap 66 from returning to the feeding mechanism or. elevator 15 until another coin is supplied to the device, suitable means (not shown) may be provided for operation by the coin receiver I2 in the manner well understood in the art.{

I'claimzfl' I l. A game device comprising a memberprovlding an inclined playing surface, said member having a relatively'narrow opening intermediate thereof to define a goalportion at the lower portion thereof, a ball smaller than the width of said opening adapted to roll on said playing surface and manually operable shiftable means for bridging a portion of said opening to permit said ball to roll thereover to said goal portion.

2. A game device comprising a member pro- Viding'an inclined playing surface,-said member having a relatively narrow opening intermediate thereof to define a goal portion-at the lower portion thereof, a ball smaller than the width of said opening adapted to roll on said playingv surface, manually operable shiftable means for bridging a portionof said opening substantially flush with said playing surface, and flanges projecting from the sides of said bridging means andextending above said playing surface.

3. A game device comprising a housing, a member in said housing providing a playing surface on which a ball is adapted to roll, said playing surface including a goal portion defined by an opening in said member of a size through which said ball may fall, a bridging member shiftable in said opening and substantially flush withsaid 'p-laying'surface to span a portion of said opening,

and means terminating exterio-rly of said housing for shifting said bridging member.

4. A game devicecomprising a member pro-' vidingwa playing surfaceon which a ball is' adapted to roll, said playing surface including a. :goal portion defined by an elongated opening in saidmember, said ball being of a size to fall through said opening and shiftable'means oper-j atively associated with said member and including apart substantially flush with. said playing surface bridging a portion of said opening. v

5.';A game device comprising a member, providing a playing surface over which a ball is adapted to roll and having an elongated opening therein of a width greater than the diameter of the ball to define a goal portion, a narrow bridge member substantially flush with and shiftable in saidopening to span a portion thereof, and vflanges projecting from the sides of said bridge member and projecting aboveithe playingsurface.' I 6; A game device'comprisinga member providing a playing surface over which a ball. is adapted to, roll and having a narrow elongated opening therein of a width greater than the diameter of the ball defining a goal portion, said goal portion having 'a plurality of apertures therein of a size greater than that of the ball,

a-shiftable member havingfa plurality of'aper-.

tures therein similar to said first named apertures and positioned beneath said'goal portion with the apertures thereof, normally disaligned from the apertures of said goal portion, said shiftable memberterminating in spacedrelation to said elongated opening, and a member shiftablein said elongated opening to bridgea selected portion thereof.

7. A game device comprising a member providing a concaveplaying surface and a guideway communicating therewith, said member'having a. relatively narrow arcuate opening therein defining a central goal portion insaid concave portion, a member journaled coaxially of said open ing, and a bridge carried by saidmemberand extending into and shiftable in said opening to bridge a portion thereof.

8. A game device comprising a member providing a circular concave playing surface and a. guideway communicating tangentially therewith, a ball adapted to roll through said guideway to said playing surface, saidmember having an arcuate opening thereinof a width greater than the diameter of said ball and defining a central goal portion in said concave surface, a member journaled 'coaxially of said opening, and a bridge carried by said member and extending into said opening to span a portion thereof.

9. A game device comprising a housing, a member in said housing providing an inclined playing surface over which a ball may roll and having an opening transverse thereof of a size larger than the ball and defining a goal portion at the lower end of said playing surface, a member shiftable in said opening to bridge a selected portion thereof, and means extending exteriorly of said housing for shifting said member.

' 10. A game device comprising a housing, a member in said'housing providing an inclined playing surface over which a ball may roll and having'an arcuate opening transverse thereof of a size through which the ball may fall and defining a goal portion at the lower end of said playing surface, a lever pivoted in said housing, and abridge carried by said lever and positioned in said opening. o

JOHN W. CULP. 

